Nothing you could say could tear us two apart
by monniez
Summary: Bonnie time-travels and Matt goes with her. "Bonnie thought looking at him was almost poetic, if it wasn't for her inner 13 year-old telling her how he could be mistaken for a rebellious prince."
1. Complete

Bonnie Bennett read the spell once again.

Her hands weren't shaking but she _was_ nervous. A time-traveling spell, so rare to find, ended up in her hands — and Bonnie was too curious to not read it. It took half an hour for her to get all the things the spell required — mainly herbs, stones and crystals (she had a bunch of those underneath her bed) and, the last ingredient, the one that nearly made her vomit: a dying heart. So then, there she was, in her knees, lighting up the candles and breathing so deep her lungs almost exploded. Her Grandmother, whom had the spell previously, told her to be careful. And that's why Bonnie's hands were supposed to be shaking. She knew how dangerous and amazing the existence of a time-travel spell was; but her hands stood still, her fingers holding tight the grimoire.

Besides all the anxiety, Bonnie couldn't help but feel happy. _She was leaving Mystic Falls_. Maybe for a couple of hours or days only (Gran was very specific when telling her the rules), but she didn't think she need more than that.

There was a knock on her bedroom's door. Five seconds later, when it opened, she felt her stomach ache. Matt Donovan was standing there, shocked, with teary eyes. Her heart felt heavy; if there was one person who never once hated her, it was Matt. Suddenly, she was no longer leaving Mystic Falls. She was leaving _him_. Her best friend.

"Bon, what are you doing?"

Speechless, she closed her eyes. She could physically feel the spell working and her magic flowing, giving it life. She'd explain everything to Matt when she came back, Bonnie promised herself. He'd understand, wouldn't he?

But Matt Donovan stepped inside the room, then inside sacred circle. He wiped away his tears, though they wouldn't stop coming. "Bonnie, can you do this later? I need to talk to someone."

Bonnie opened her eyes. "You entered the circle! Oh my God. You really shouldn't have done that."  
She got on her feet and moved closed to him.

Then, it was like the whole world was falling apart. There was a long earthquake and everything around them started to spin. Matt felt nauseated and held Bonnie's right hand — the left hand was still holding the grimoire.

Looking down at the book in her hand, Bonnie noticed a note at the end of the page, written in small letters.

"Wait, I hadn't seen that... It says here that the spell could only work with two people" she mutters.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You completed it! It wouldn't work without you!"

She laughed and allowed herself to feel happy again. _It worked_.

Everything stopped abruptly. No more earthquakes or spinning rooms, only an extremely bright light and Matt's loud breath.

It was nearly peaceful, before, they — of course —, _fall._

* * *

Waking up was awful. Their backs were aching and they felt a rather unusual hunger, not to mention their dry mouths and sore feet.

They both thanked silently that they didn't end up on top of each other — it would be, at least, awkward.

Getting up, Bonnie looked around. It was night-time but unlike what she thought, there was no forest around them. There was grass and flowers — but nothing else. Not even her grimoire;

"Whose garden is this?" Matt said, without looking at Bonnie.

"I have no idea... Matt, you understand what just happened, right?"

"Kind of, yes." His blue eyes stared at her for a while. "Actually, no. Not really. Enlighten me of your mysteries, _Miss Bennett._"

"You think you're so funny, Donovan. Anyways..." she started walking. She had seen a blue mansion not far away from where they were and if she was right, they already had a place to stay. "I was trying some spells. Then I decided to check the time-travel spell and long-story-short, we're here."

Matt ran his hand through his hair and bit his bottom lip before complaining. "First, vampires. Then you're a witch. Then werewolves. And now we're time-traveling? No wonder I've got a headache".

"I didn't plan to bring you here too, I'm sor—"

"Nah, it's okay. It's just too much to handle, that's all. Besides, I needed to leave Mystic Falls anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"My mom was drunk again and Vicky was nowhere to be found. All of my friends were being jerks. You know, same-old, same-old"

"I'm so _sorry_, Matt".

He bit his lip again, a habit he wouldn't give up so easily. He looked down at Bonnie — because she was like 5' 4'' or not even that — and her brown eyes showed him compassion. He guessed maybe that was why he always searched for her when he needed someone; she had compassion, but not pity. And her company made air lighter, her hug was the warmest. Matt held her hand again and smiled. "Thanks", he said. "Hey, I think I know that place" he put his index finger up, pointing at the blue mansion Bonnie had already seen.

"_Everybody _knows that place. Right now, it's the Salvatore's mansion. I guess this means we'll probably have to deal with Stefan at his actual 17 age."

"Jesus, can you imagine what he's like? _God help us all_" Matt joked and they both laughed, as they kept walking towards the mansion. "Bon, thanks for bringing me here. I really needed a way out of Mystic Falls."

"Shut up. The spell wouldn't work without you. Thank _you _for bringing me here."

The closer they got to the mansion, the slower they walked. It was a characteristic trait on both of them: the caution, the thinking-before-acting.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this. We time-travelled! That's _insane_!"

"Yeah. I'm kind of still absorbing that information. Hmm... Do you think we should knock on the door? The lights are off and we don't even know what time it is".

"Matt, I don't have any problem with sleeping on the grass but you are allergic to, literally, _everything_."

"Are you sure you're doing this for _me_? And not for the comfortable beds and delicious rich-people's food they must serve?"

They reached the mansion's door and she rang the bell.

"Are you seriously questioning me and my friendship? _I do care_ about your allergies!"

He laughed and the door opened. The blood ran out of Matt's face and Bonnie's mouth went drier. Stefan Alessandro Salvatore, with sleepy face and voice, stood in front of them. His hair was long and he looked younger — he surely was, Bonnie guessed. He wasn't a vampire yet.

"Are you lost, kids?" Bonnie opened her mouth but nothing came out of it.

"We were traveling around the city and we lost track of the time. We're sorry to disturb in such late hour, but we really don't know the way back to our home".

Bonnie watched Matt in complete disbelief. He was a really good liar — and who would've guess that?

A few minutes passed until Stefan decided:

"Alright. It's, indeed, late. You can come in and we'll talk by the morning, yes?"

Matt was still holding Bonnie's hand, as if she was his gravity. He was afraid that if he let go of her hand, he'd somehow come right back to her room, or to his house, where he'd be either alone or lonely. He wouldn't tell her so soon, but he was more than happy to be there with her.

"I am so sorry I did not asked your names, Mrs. and Ms. ...?" Stefan said, as they walked down the hall.

"Oh, we're not... We're not married" Bonnie raised an eyebrow. She thought about the things she'd miss about the 21st century. Besides a shower, probably how people wouldn't suggest she was terribly single. (_Honestly, we're both_ seventeen. _SEVENTEEN_!)

"I'm Matthew Donovan. This is Bonnie Bennett, my friend."

Stefan shook their hands.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Friends, huh? Well, I'm sorry to inform you we only have one room empty. I would ask my mother to take you to her room, Ms. Bennett, but I don't want to wake her up."

"No, it's okay. We can sleep in the same room."

Matt suddenly found Stefan's shoes the most interesting thing in world. He looked at them to disguise his blushing cheeks, but of course it didn't work; Bonnie knew him too well.

Stefan talked to a maid and, after wishing them a good-night, left. The maid led Bonnie and Matt upstairs, to the room they'd sleep in. She said that if they needed anything they could call her at any time. She left before Bonnie could finish thanking.

Looking at Matt, expecting him to say something, Bonnie felt amused. She wanted to laugh, out loud, but she was afraid it would wake the Salvatores up. The way Matt spoke and the way Stefan spoke and the fact that they were actually in the past — it was _terrifying_. And she loved every second of it.

"Like I said..." Matt took off his shoes and his dirty shirt. "I'm still absorbing it"

"Sure you are" Bonnie smiled, as she also took off her shoes. "Hey, is it really okay for us to sleep in the same bed?" she asked, as if it was no big deal. (_It was_).

"Bon, I've known you since forever. It's fine."

"I'm just saying... If I accidentally punch you, don't get mad at me."

"I could never get mad at you."

"Great!"

"Good-night, Bon"

She laid beside him and sighed. _It was no big deal_, Bonnie tried to convince herself.

_I've known you since forever_, Matt's words echoed in her mind.

Well, that was exactly the problem.


	2. Ms Bennett and Cake

He woke up with his hand on her waist.

Nothing would ever feel just as satisfying (although, well, he did always hope for something more, like a whispered secret leading to a kiss. But Matt has always been cautious so his hope was never put high.) Instead of leaning closer to Bonnie, he didn't move at all. It lasted only a couple of minutes, that dumb-yet-adorable amusement of being literally lying on a bed with her.

Then Bonnie ended up turning around.

It was still dark outside so Matt went back to sleep again, with her face so close to his.

When he took a bath, not even two hours later, he made a silent prayer. He thought that if anyone was listening, he could use some godly help or advice. What should he do? He _knew_ he was feeling something. It had been months since it started — the cold-sweat, the palpitation and even holding hands, something so common between him and Bonnie, became awkward —, but he was still unsure about so many things. Would he be a total jerk for kissing her without a warning? Would their friendship be ruined forever? Was he ruining everything _already_? God, if there was the tiniest possibility of her wanting him back — would it be enough? Was there any possibility of their relationship work romantically? Was he stupid to even have all those questions? 'Cause he knew her, he knew her opinions on things and on people. He knew her so well he knew what she'd say if he ever dared to reveal he was falling; _falling for her_.

Knowing her so well bothered him now, just as much as it made him day-dream. He was so aware of everything about her because he payed so much attention. Especially in those minuscule details — but not in a "stalker-y" way, 'cause Matt Donovan is a gentleman and respects everyone's space. He was _perceptive_ — which, according to Caroline, is what women really want.

That night, the first night they slept on the same bed, Matt dreamed he was whispering his secret to Bonnie. _I'm seeing you differently. I'm _loving_ you differently_. But soon enough, the dream became something less dramatically romantic — it became almost... wild.

He never had erotic dreams — well, okay, that's a lie since he's 17. He never had one of those with _Bonnie_; and they were simply not usual, especially since his mom started to have problems again — coincidentally at the same time Matt found out about how all of his friends were dealing with supernatural issues.

So, when he woke up his first thought was: _Shit_. With capital S. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed (she was right next to him, for god's sake!).

He ran to the bathroom and took the longest bath of his life. Even after drying himself with, believe it or not, two towels (the fabric was awful), he waited at least ten minutes before going back to bedroom, across the hall.

He walked in with one of the towels wrapped around his waist, which made Bonnie wonder if someone saw him and how impolite and awkward the situation would be. The fact that his chest was bare and he kind of was naked, really, made Bonnie swallow then choke — and it wouldn't be such a big deal if Matt hadn't noticed it. But he did. He certainly did.

"Put some clothes on" she pretended to complain. It didn't bother her that he was unclothed. It didn't bother her _at all_. Bonnie didn't have the right to talk about it either: she wasn't with her jeans on and her crop-top was particularly tight. Basically, they were both very provocative — and secretly crushing on each other.

"Sorry, I thought you had left the room already", he said.

"Please. Don't you remember all those talks we've had about how terrible I am at waking up early?" Bonnie laid back on her pillow and Matt obviously tried to not stare at her. He failed miserably, of course.

He dressed himself up as quickly as he could, in a corner.

Their new clothes were sitting on two chairs on the left wall. They were clean but Matt thought about how hard it would be to get used to them – the fabric was different, the size was weird and so was the color. He looked at the lilac dress and wondered why Bonnie still hadn't dressed it.

"Uh, how long it's been since you woke up?"

"Minutes, obviously".

"Hmmm. Can I ask why you're still on bed? I mean, you may not be a morning person but... You're not the kind of person who sits around and wait for things". He put his index finger up and pointed to the dress.

"You're saying I'm an attitude girl?" she smiled.

"Kind of, yeah".

She shook her head. _Okay_.

"I'm pretty sure that dress is supposed to suffocate women and it requires help to get it on. I didn't want to call someone to help me so I'm here thinking if it would break the universe apart if I used my shirt and my jeans to breakfast. I'm also considering asking you to help me but—"

"Alright, I can do it" he cuts her off.

"What?"

Bonnie sat up.

"It can't be that difficult, right? I can help you, if you want."

Bonnie got on her feet and Matt tried to find a fixed point on the window so his eyes wouldn't betray him. _Do not look at her legs, Donovan. Do not_.

"Can you really do that? I mean, if it's too weird..."

"Bon, it's fine. I sometimes dressed Vicky when she was little. Plus, we need to blend in, right? You need to wear this dress and I need to dress these awful pants so no one finds out we're from..." he whispers: "... the _future_."

* * *

They went downstairs not much time later.

Stefan's parents were not there, neither was his brother (who Matt and Bonnie agreed to not mention). He was at the table by himself...

"Are we late?" Matt asked.

Stefan gestured them to sit down.

"No, not at all. We wake up around this time on Fridays, anyway."

Bonnie tried really hard to not roll her eyes. What was that supposed to mean?

"Pardon me, but I'm hungry so may I ask if there's any cake?" she said that. The words escaped from her mouth before she could do anything about it. _Not a morning person, indeed._

Stefan laughed. But it's different from what Bonnie was used to. It was the most polite and sophisticated laugh to ever exist. Matt shared a look with Bonnie before Stefan answered.

"Unfortunately no, Ms. Bennett, there is no cake. I'm not a fan of it so we rarely have it on our table. However, I can ask for it to be made for you, if you will".

She didn't say anything, which Stefan assumed as a yes. Bonnie sat there, shocked and ashamed. _What the hell is wrong with me? Dear God!_

Matt changed the subject. And then they spent the rest of the morning talking about all kinds of things. The privilege of knowing historical things that still were about to happen gave Matt an advantage, and he handled it very well. When Stefan asked about things with answers he wouldn't be able to process (like where they're from or any details about where they live), Bonnie spoke. She thought about using magic but it wasn't necessary. After all, her lies always sounded extremely reliable.

Stefan suggested Bonnie and Matt to stay for another week. He said he would appreciate the company.

Matt didn't know but it was perfect. Ten days was the limit set by Bonnie's grandmother — any days more could interfere nature, the course of things. Stefan also requested a private conversation with Matt (and Bonnie didn't even bother to not seem offended).

"Sure... Right now?"

He wasn't big friends with Stefan from the future, so he was a _little _bit suspicious.

"Yes. Can we head to the library?"

Matt nodded.

The three of them got up. "Ms. Bennett, excuse us, please" Stefan said. Bonnie smiled, friendly, and followed them as they left the dining room.

Stefan stopped to talk to a maid and Bonnie heard him talk about cake and refer to her as Ms. Bennett — for the millionth time.

The door to the library was next to the door to the saloon, both at the end of the main hall. Before taking the stairs back to the bedroom, Bonnie looked at Matt. He turned around just in time and tried to smile.

They kept looking at each other until the door was closed.

* * *

The cake arrived at the end of the afternoon. She thanked the maid repeatedly until the girl's cheeks looked like small tomatoes.

Matt only came back late at night, when she was already under the sheets and nearly sleeping.

"Did you eat the whole cake?" he joked, taking his shoe off.

_Yeah. Right. I _should_ have._

"No, there's still plenty of it left for you." Her voice was harsh.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I ate cake today. Everything is great."

"Bonnie, c'mon"

For a second, she thought he called her _babe_. She swore silently and commanded herself to stop — before it even begun.

He sat beside her.

"You spent the whole day away. What were you guys even talking about? _Boy talk_? I needed to have an important conversation with you and... You know what? Screw it, I don't want to talk about it. Let me sleep, okay?"

"Oh, Bon... Bonnie? Bonnie Bennett? C'mon. Bonnie. Bonnie stop ignoring me. Bon." He sighed. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

It took exactly ten seconds for her to say:

"Oh my god, I hate that I can't be mad at you. _Get out_ of here."

"Nope." He smiled at her even though she wasn't looking. "Can I ask you something?" She didn't say anything so he continued: "Why are we here?"

"I told you. I was trying some spells..."

"You know I want to believe you but you also know I'm a walking lie detector, so..."

"Fine."

She sat up.

"I was just... so _tired_. I needed an escape. I didn't even think twice about it... I... I wanted to go back to when we were happy. Where none of this nonsense was..." she didn't finish.

Matt hugged her tight.

They stayed in silence for long minutes until he said, really low and slowly:

"I think we're happy whenever we're with each other. Everything is okay when we're all together. The things we've been through, the things we're still dealing with... Life only puts those things in our way because it knows we're capable of handling them. I know what you mean when you say you want to be happy and free and you want people to stop pressuring you so much. You'll be alright, okay? You'll be alright. I'm _right here._"

Another long pause.

"Now, can I ask if we can time-travel another couple of times, you know, just.. maybe"

Bonnie laughs and pushes him away gently.

"We can try. And we could bring Caroline next time! But let's enjoy this week first."

"Whatever you say, Ms. Bennett".

"Ugh! _Stop_. Calling. Me. That."

Matt laughs and get under the sheets.

"I'm _serious_, Matthew. I'm super serious."

* * *

**A/N: **A few things you should be aware of:

a) Elena is not mentioned. Ever.  
b) Damon gets mentioned later on, but only once and never again.  
c) I really want Caroline to be on this.  
d) You might have noticed this but in my mind Matt is ~ridiculously~ romantic. Also, he's great in bed. Just throwing that out there.


	3. The week

They woke up really early and had a long conversation before breakfast.

Bonnie tried to be very clear about how they should find a way to get back in about 7 or 8 days. She thought about how her Grandmother would never trust her again if she broke any of the rules, how she would say with a saddened expression that she expected more from Bonnie. And she thought about all the fun she'd miss too, if she were forbidden to travel again.

As the good girl she was, Bonnie planned to search everywhere for her grimoire – she'd been careful enough to use a spell that connected her and the book so it would always be near.

Matt listened to everything carefully and silently. He almost mocked Bonnie's flawless discipline but then he remembered how, even though he was older, he was always looking up to her. She inspired him to be the best version of himself;

Stefan disappeared after breakfast and Bonnie had a feeling he did that a lot. She wondered if hosting her and Matt would do him any good. She hoped so.

At 2:30, the same maid that delivered the cake on the previous day brought them new clothes. She helped Bonnie with the yellow dress whilst Matt got dressed in the bathroom.

That Saturday, Matt walked Bonnie to the library. She had asked once or twice what he and Stefan talked about when they were there, but he never answered her properly. Apparently, they _actually_ had boy talk. Whatever it is.

"Stefan said we can take any of them except for those on that shelf" he pointed out. "He asked if I enjoyed reading and I told him you're the nerd here. He didn't know what a nerd was. It was really funny".

"We should be more careful with the way we speak." Bonnie sounded truly concerned.

Matt shook his head.

"He presumed nerd was something French. Probably related to alcoholics."

She punched his arm slightly and looked at him with indignation.

"I'm kidding!" He laughed. "You're still a nerd, though."

"Oh, shut up. You're the one who got an A+ on literature, math, physics and a bunch of other subjects I can't recall right now. Not me. I got a B in almost everything."

Matt blushed. He turned away to hide it but there was only a few things he could hide from Bonnie.

She smiled at the ground.

_He's not cute. He. Is. Not. Nope_.

Bonnie ran her fingertips up and down on her own arm then picked a random book.

"The nerd wants to read this one. What do you think?"

"I think you're referring to yourself in third person. You _are_ a nerd."

"Get out of my face, Donovan." She rolled her eyes – but she was still smiling.

"I'm sorry, madam, but we're in the 1800's or something. I have no clue of what that expression means."

During the rest of the day, they found two secret rooms: one behind one of the shelves in the library and the other behind the wall in their room with the weird black and white painting. Bonnie didn't find her grimoire in those places – which disappointed her more than it should have. What if it was somewhere she wasn't allowed to get in? Like Stefan's room or the basement? She tried to be positive but she felt pressured. She had to find her magical book or they would never go back home. It would be a _mess_.

They had dinner at seven o'clock, without Stefan. A maid informed he had a headache. Bonnie noticed Matt hide a smirk under the apron. It was weird but she decided to let it go. Matt couldn't possibly know what Stefan was up to.

* * *

On Sunday, Stefan took them to the stables.

Bonnie wanted to call Caroline when she looked at the boys petting a horse's mane. The sun was setting behind them and a warm breeze made the flowers dance. It looked like a painting Caroline would love more than anyone else; Bonnie felt rather sad when she remembered her phone wasn't with her. She was also surprised when she touched her dress – she finally realized how thick the fabric was and how it weighted.

Stefan suggested a ride, which Matt accepted in a heartbeat. Bonnie said she preferred to watch, so she did. Stefan was majestic, of course. Matt looked like he was used to it (he wasn't)... He seemed to be a free spirit, running away. Bonnie thought looking at him was almost poetic, if it wasn't for her inner 13 year-old telling her how he could be mistaken for a rebellious prince.

_God. I can't have a crush on Matt. I __shouldn't_. _What would Caroline say about it?_

They turned around to go back to where Bonnie was standing.

_I have no idea what Caroline would say about it. _

Later, they also went to the kitchen, the other garden (it was twice the size of the front yard) and Bonnie's favorite: the Saloon. It was huge; the walls and the ground were covered with something that looked like granite – but it was painted blue. There were two mirrors in every wall and a large white circle in the middle – Bonnie guessed it was the dance floor. She wasn't sure if _dance floor_ was even an existing concept around that time but she didn't care. That room was beautiful.

Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore were traveling for business, Stefan told them. They left a few hours after Bonnie and Matt arrived.

"What about your brother?" Bonnie dared to ask.

"According to his letters, he's somewhere new every week and does not plan on coming home soon."

"It's been long since he left?"

"I don't know. I am not counting." He lied. "We're having a dance this Friday, to welcome my parents back home."

"Oh, interesting" Matt figured that was something good to say.

"Are we invited?"

"Of course, Ms. Bennett! You and Matthew are my special guests."

* * *

On Monday, they walked around town with five maids. Matt insisted to have Bonnie's arm entwined in his – it didn't bother her at all, but the maids and people in everywhere they went kept calling her Mrs. Donovan. It sounded okay – she just wanted to have a proper marriage before being called that.

_Ah, crap. I didn't just thought that._

Some people looked at them strangely – someone even had the audacity of asking if she was free (_like, really? Really? For real?) _– but overall, everything went well. Matt enjoyed every second of it; his eyes told her what his mouth couldn't: _we time-traveled! I still can't believe it!_

On Tuesday, they had a picnic on the garden. Just the two of them, because Stefan had mysteriously disappeared after breakfast again.

On Wednesday, they get the party's clothes and try them – separately, each one with the help of two maids. If there were any adjustments needed, they would be done quickly so Bonnie and Matt could have another try before Friday.

On Thursday, Matt tries his clothes first. Bonnie's presence had been required at the library, for a talk with Stefan. Matt gazed her until the door was closed – the same way it happened days before, when he was the one walking to the library.

Stefan was sitting on a chair she didn't notice before. There was another one, in which she sat down without asking for permission.

He acted just as sympathetic as always, but there was a look of worry and doubt in his face.

He took something he was hiding and holding it up he said, calmly:

"You're very far away from home, aren't you?"

Bonnie choked. Stefan was with her grimoire in his hands.

"Listen, I'm not here to ask for anything or to threaten to make a scene. I just want to know the truth."

"What truth?" she asked. Her voice was low.

"Who you are. What you're doing here. Where you're really from."

"I can't tell you that."

"Ms. Bennett, I'm an informed boy. I know what I'm holding in my hands."

"You do? Do you think you could return it to its rightful owner?"

"Oh, so this _is_ yours?"

"I didn't say that."

"Just tell me what you and Mr. Donovan are doing here."

"We were traveling and we got lost."

"Why knock at _my_ door?"

"I can't tell you."

"Do you know me?"

Bonnie risked looking in his eyes. Stefan definitely wasn't scared and the tone of his voice wasn't rude. He actually seemed... hopeful.

"I can't tell you that either, I'm sorry." Bonnie held his hand. "I think I can say that you can trust us. You can trust me."

"The Stefan you know... is he a good person?"

"What?" she shook her head. "I didn't say—"

"I had a feeling we were friends, Ms. Bennett. That's why I let you into my house. You see, we're living in hard times. It's really difficult for me to trust people."

"I'll say it again: you can trust me."

"Can you at least tell me if we're friends?"

_That's such an odd thing to ask, Stefan. _

Bonnie thought for a second he knew about everything. About the time-travel. About how something was going to happen to him and his brother. She silently prayed he stayed strong. She wanted to tell him he was going to be amazing and he'd find Caroline and they were going to live forever – and together. But Bonnie couldn't say anything. She thought of her Grandmother's rules. _Be careful with everything. With every little detail. With the way you speak, walk, eat and breathe. Be careful or you will change fate, nature. You don't want to do that, do you? _

"We _are_ friends, Mr. Salvatore. And everything will be alright. I promise."

He smiled.

Bonnie felt like calling Caroline again – and once more frustrated herself. She held Stefan's hand tighter and changed the subject.

They talked about all kinds of things, especially the party and Matt. He asked if she liked to dance, Bonnie said yes. He asked if Bonnie liked Matt, she also said yes.

"Has he proposed yet?" Stefan said, casually.

"What?" she hid her face in her hands. "We're not... We're not together."

Stefan frowned.

"Why not? He told me he loves your company. And you seem to get along very well."

"He said that?"

"Maybe he will propose tomorrow, at the dance."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. She thought about calling Caroline _again_ – apparently, phones were a greater invention that she gave it credit to.

_Hello? Care? Your boyfriend thinks Matt will propose. To me. ME. Bonnie Bennett. His best friend since he was 4. Matt wouldn't even fall in love with me. He wouldn't. Caroline? Matt... He wouldn't..._

_Right?_

* * *

**A/N:** I just love that Matt's into her first (and everyone can see it). Also, thank you soooooo much for the lovely reviews! I really appreciate them.


	4. Dancing and surrendering

Breakfast was served late, as usual on Fridays. Stefan and Matt made each other laugh with historical jokes that Bonnie didn't bother to pay attention to. She decided to drink coffee for the first time that week – and one sip was enough for her to regret it.

The three of them spent the afternoon talking and walking around. Stefan suggested them to go to the library – it was obviously his favorite place – but they denied the invitation, in the most sensitive and polite way, of course. He also sometimes exchanged looks with Matt, like they shared a funny secret Bonnie wasn't supposed to know. Stefan even insinuated once or twice that she'd be wonderful as Mrs. Donovan, since she and Matt got along so well.

when Stefan made that statement, Bonnie didn't noticed but, Matt bit down his lip and looked away to hide a smile.

* * *

The guests started to arrive by 7 o'clock.

Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore would only get home late, by 10:30pm, but that didn't seem to upset anyone except for Stefan – he missed his parents more than his pride would let him admit it.

Soft music was playing and the food was being served to everyone. There was tables spread through the room – no more than a hundred-fifty of them – and the lights were spectacularly amazing. Apparently, Stefan was just as good as organizing parties as Caroline.

Matt was waiting for Bonnie on the hall, as she and the maid helping her made the last adjustments on her dress. He wondered if make-up existed around that time – he really liked when Bonnie wore a pink or red lipstick –, then he shook his head 'cause that was something irrelevant. He _knew_ she'd be beautiful anyway. _He knew_.

When the door opened, he held his breath – only to breathe again in the words:

"You're wonderful."

Bonnie wanted to say thank you but nothing came out of her mouth. She smiled to him instead, as her heart throbbed with doubt. _He would _not_ fall in love with me_, she kept telling herself. But he offered her a smile too, wider than hers, and her doubt momentarily changed to hope.

Everyone looked at them once they stepped in. They were by far the most appealing and charming people, perhaps for having a different aspect. Their teeth were whiter, their posture was different, their height, weight, skin – it all seemed to call everybody's attention. People even applauded and Matt whispered that maybe it was Bonnie's dress. Then she searched for Stefan, hoping him to be near them. But Mr. Donovan and Ms. Bennett really were the center of the attention.

They walked through the room and ate, without talking or directly eyeing each other.

Some people went to them from time to time, completely astonished with their presence.

Once, Bonnie whispered to Matt's ears:

"They probably think we're powerful figures."

She expected him to laugh but he whispered back:

"We're _not_?"

* * *

It was nearly 9pm when she suggested them to dance.

"That's a great idea!" He put down his drink and put his hand on her waist, slowly leading her to the white circle in the middle of the room.

Important note: no one else was dancing.

Matt looked for Stefan. The younger Salvatore mouthed a few encouragement words then went back to talk to a weirdly short man beside him.

A new song started playing and Matt made a gesture with his head to see if Bonnie was ready. _One feet to left, one feet to right and back and forth and spin her around_, he remembered Caroline's voice in their training to prom. Matt took a deep breath and they started.

They danced their first song beautifully — and the second, third, fourth and the fifth too. There was a new round of applause every time they paused — just to stare at each other's eyes.

Matt brought Bonnie close, leaving no space between them, and started to move slower. His hand went up and down her spine and he could feel her warm breath in his neck.

He closed his eyes.

"I think I'm in love with you, Bonnie Bennett." He stated, so calmly and gently.

They stopped dancing.

"What are you saying? Everyone is looking!"

"Bon, do you think I care about them?"

She took a step away from him and made a reverence to their audience (there was still no one but them dancing).

Bonnie held Matt's hand and pulled him out of there. They walked around until she decided to go into the library.

She kept telling herself she'd talk to Stefan later, because she had a theory he had something to do with all of it – her dress was _too_ pretty and so was her shoes. They were serving_ cake. _And _champagne_!

Matt had a silly face on whenever he talked about Bonnie during breakfast or dinner.

All that looks and compliments;

_Oh, God_.

She tried to not hate herself for not realizing everything sooner – it would have avoided so much drama!

"Please tell me it wasn't a joke. Or an illusion, something I made up. I hope it's not a joke, Matt."

"Why would I joke about that?"

"I don't know, you tell me!"

_I want to believe it, I want to believe him, I want—_

"We've been best friends since forever. You _know_ me, I _know_ you."

"Exactly. So you wouldn't fall in love with me. Caroline—"

Bonnie remembered her imaginary conversations. Caroline would ask: _why not? Why wouldn't he fall for you_? But she'd be just as confused as Bonnie. Matt was impossible to read sometimes...

"Why are you even mentioning Caroline right now? And what did you say? I wouldn't fall in love with you? Well, I did! _I am_. And proudly so."

She hid her face behind her hands.

"Now, will you please just let me declare my feelings?" He took a step closer to her. "Bon? Can I declare my feelings?"

Bonnie stifled a laugh. _Sure_, she thought.

"Are you ready? I've been planning this for months, I hope you're prepared."

_Well, I'm probably not_.

Matt closed his eyes – he did that a lot when he was anxious.

"I wanted your lips in mine for the longest time. I'm in love with you, with everything you are and aspire to be. With everything you can teach me. With everything that you already taught me."

Bonnie breathed heavily. She was watching him, full of expectation. Her stomach felt weird and maybe she had a fever – or was she cold-sweating? Bonnie couldn't tell. She never felt that way before. "I-I don't even—"

"Shh. I'm not finished. I know every good part of you. I see it, every day. Your compassion... Your honesty. But _I want you_, Bonnie. All of you. I want you to tell me your darkest secrets..."

His hands found her arm and his fingers caressed it.

Bonnie didn't move, didn't blink.

"I want you to show me what you're capable of. 'Cause I'm in love with you. And I'm willing to knee at your feet to announce that I surrender my heart, myself...

He stopped when he sensed her face close to his. Standing on her tiptoes, with her hands on his shoulders.

Matt's eyes opened.

"You can kiss me already."

Matt smiled before leaning down. Her hands grabbed his hair and he held her by the neck.

It started softly.

Then they pressed each other's' bodies firmly and the kiss suddenly got rough, as if they were long lost lovers. It was amazing.

Bonnie pulled Matt by the collar and opened the door of the library's secret room. Once they were in, she locked it so it could only be open by the inside. She knew they had to leave before midnight, but, God, she _dreamt_ of that moment. Bonnie dreamt about having something real. And she always had it with Matt...

So they held each other as their lips entwined. They kissed for the longest time, stopping only to breath. Then they kissed again. _And again and again and again and again._

* * *

**A/N: a) **The title for this fic comes from Neon Trees' song "Mad Love".  
**b) **Thank you for your reviews _again_, they really mean so much to me!  
**c) **Have you noticed I named all the chapters?


	5. Ignis

**A/N: Hi there! Sorry for taking so long to update.**

**a)** I edited the chapter 2, 3 and 4 'cause there was some bits that needed to be fixed.

**b) **I'm still not 100% sure about this chapter, so I apologize in advance for anything.

I must say English is not my first language hence the silly mistakes (if you find any please let me know!).

**x**

* * *

Gravity seemed to not affect them every time they pulled their lips apart, gasping for air. Matt didn't say, but he thought, once or twice, breathing was annoying — at the minimum. He wanted to breathe only her kisses and he's stay forever in her mouth if he could.

In the few times they stopped to say anything or let out uncontrollable moans, Matt asked if there wasn't a spell that could freeze time, just so they could live in that moment for as long as they wished. He also wondered if there was a spell that could make them not need air — that made Bonnie laugh.

"Are you saying I leave you breathless?"

But she didn't let him answer. Her hands grabbed him tighter, her lips and tongue entwined in his again.

They were on the other side of that secret room, bodies pressed against a wall covered in black velvet. Matt pushed his own body against Bonnie's and not long later she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Then it all _really_ started to happen.

His kisses went down her neck and collarbone, whilst she put her hands under his shirt. She caressed his back for a couple of seconds, but once Matt managed to pressure himself even more and kiss her more veraciously, her nails sank into his skin.

Bonnie's left hand touched his shoulder and made its way to his pants, which she unbuttoned. She did everything so instinctively she barely cared when Matt felt to the ground, accidentally of course — and she fell along, ending up on top of him. Bonnie pulled him closer, to continue the kissing, but Matt's lips didn't meet hers again before he took his shirt off. She took a good look, especially on the little scars on his abs and on the contour of his muscles. Her hands caressed his shoulders and chest, as if she couldn't yet believe the whole situation was happening.

Matt unbuttoned her dress, but Bonnie didn't take it off. She wasn't wearing a bra — and how could she? The one she was wearing when they got there was dirty and hidden, along with her shirt and jeans. — Even so, he didn't look straight away. His eyes were focused on hers_,_ and he _barely_ blinked. Bonnie never had a guy to gaze her like that; they usually closed their eyes or looked anywhere but her. Matt was definitely provoking her, inciting a fire he wouldn't be able to contain. His look was audacious and flirty, like he knew exactly how to make her heart beat as fast as it was physically possible. So he only stopped to kiss her in the mouth and looked down, when she forced him to. He kissed her neck at her command and instinctively sucked her skin, not too sweetly but also not too hard — he was doing everything with the right pressure.

"_Oh_", Bonnie moaned.

Then he allowed himself to look at what she wanted him to see. She took his hand and placed it on her left boob. Matt sighed out loud and kissed her again, just as passionate as all the times before.

Reaching out for air, Bonnie asked:

"Where is this going?"

Now his fingers made circles on her back and her hands were holding his arms — she couldn't resist. Caroline would probably say "_hum, hello? Sporty guy's arms! Hell yes!_"

"You tell me".

"There are no condoms so we can't…" she closed her eyes to avoid looking at him, while Matt's eyes widened. She felt her cheeks warming up, awkwardness and shame and fear mixing inside her stomach. "Maybe we could… It wouldn't be such a bad thing, right?"

"You're making no sense."

"It would be good… I mean, we have been sleeping on the same bed... We know each other for the lo—longest time… And we trust each other... So it's not like this came out of nowhere, right?"

"Bonnie, what are you talking about?"

She felt too embarrassed to say it out loud. She had never gone that far with anybody, she never felt that way. Like she could just _give in_ and think of the consequences later.

Bonnie loved Matt — since the day he showed up in her life when they were little. She doubted that their love would ever run out. But the crush didn't exist until a few days earlier, maybe a week before they arrived in the 1800's. Caroline probably was a bit guilty, because she enjoyed playing cupid — she had spent whole afternoons talking about Donovan and the pros of dating him. Bonnie ended up influenced, like she always does, and there she was, not much time later, letting her feelings and desires control her. Exactly like Caroline had planned.

Bonnie guided his hands inside her dress and dared to put her hands inside his pants. It took seconds for Matt to realize what she was suggesting.

"Ah—Bon? Oh—_oh_". It took a moment for Matt to come back to himself and think straight again. "You... You sure about this?"

She nodded.

"Yes… Please, Matty." It had been years since Bonnie called him that, so he shivered at the nickname.

She pressed her lips against his for three long seconds. "_Please_".

* * *

They laid there for a while, just listening to each other's fast heartbeats. When Matt broke the silence, he was direct:

"Are we dating or are we going to regret this?"

Bonnie wasn't expecting that question.

His face was still very close, his warm breath tickled her cheek. One of her hands was on his chest and Bonnie, with her witch side, felt his soul trembling because of joy.

She closed her eyes and felt the guilt slowly starting to consume her.

"I—I don't— I don't know".

"What do you mean you don't know? You don't think we'd be good together?"

"No, that's not— that's not what I mean. We would be good. In dating. Each other. We'd be good at that, yeah. It's just… We're attracted to each other, right?"

"After what we just did, I can surely say we're pretty attracted to one another."

Bonnie opened her eyes. Still, she looked anywhere but Matt's face.

"Yeah but... Being in love is so complicated. I don't know if the two of us dating… It doesn't feel quite right."

"I don't get it" Matt said, melancholically.

Bonnie sat up and he tried to keep a distance between them for the first time. Bonnie bit her bottom lip, feeling the tension rise up.

"Okay. Yeah, it's fine. Sorry for asking."

She turned around to finally look him in the eyes. She held his hand as firmly as she could.

"No, I _like_ you, Matt! I do, really. I just don't think I've been actually in love with anyone. And all the things you said to me… I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to lie to you. I don't want to ruin what we already have."

"How could it ruin things, Bonnie?"

"I don't know…" There is a long pause. Bonnie thinks about all of her friend's experiences, everything she learned just by listening. Then she comes to a stupid conclusion and ends up whispering it: "You would break my heart. Isn't there what every girl is afraid of?"

"What?" he said louder than he meant.

"Eventually, you would—"

"Oh, I heard you. H—How—I—I would never do that. What the hell, Bonnie? It's like you don't even know me."

"Sorry" she started to apologize.

"You haven't noticed, have you?" He ran his fingers through his hair and scratched his forhead. "Jesus, I can't— I can't believe it. Well, the party was an excuse. Stefan's parents will come back only on Monday or Tuesday or whatever. They're far away from home, like we are. And they are always doing business stuff, and Stefan's brother left and now he's always alone. That's why he let us in. He was just like me, Bonnie. He felt lonely most of the time. Then he started to help me, since our talk in the library."

"I don't think I'm fully understanding what you're saying."

Matt sighed.

"It doesn't really matter. God, Bonnie, how many times will I have to say I'm in love with you? Are you not listening? The party was for you. I thought you'd liked it and Stefan took care of everything."

"It was a set up?"

"It was an excuse. Since it's your birthday and all."

"It's not my birthday." Wow. All those years knowing each other and he forgot her birthday. _How great!_

"I figured it was unintentional. But today is your birthday, I checked. And in a while, you're going to be born. You're gonna come to this world and make it a place worth living in. I thought we should celebrate it. And when we were dancing, I thought it was a good opportunity to tell you how I felt. Now I'm embarrassed because— 'cause, well, you don't feel the same, right?"

She swallowed.

It was impossible not to fall in love with him. He said things people normally wouldn't. Matt Donovan was one of a kind.

Bonnie wiped away a tear that insisted to fall. She hated herself for being afraid —and she couldn't quite tell what exactly she feared. Her blood was rushing way too fast through her veins and she wanted to disappear, to go somewhere safe, to her favorite hiding place, somewhere she'd be able to calm down and think straight. But her safe-haven was right next to her and now she was scared to lean closer to him. Bonnie felt annoyed that even now, when she is doubting Matt and herself, her heart still claims for him.

"I _want_ to be in love with you. I just don't know if I _am_."

There was a long pause.

"The party wasn't a set up to seduce me, right?"

"God, Bonnie. Do you want me to make an announcement? When we get back, I'll tell every person I've ever know, I'll scream at the world if you want, I'll tell them all that _I am ridiculously in love with you_."

"Stop saying that! Just tell me if it was a set up or not."

"Of course not!"

"It's still a problem, though. If the party was for me and not for Stefan's parents… We were supposed to go unnoticed. What if this party changes everything? What if we're on the newspaper tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry, okay, I was just—"

"I know, Matthew. I know."

He froze at the sound of his name.

"You know what, Bonnie? I'll talk to Stefan. Everything will be just fine. You told me we need to leave today, right? So while I go talk to him, you can prepare your tricks so we can go back home."

He got on his feet and ran out the door. Both of their hearts felt heavy in their chest.

Not wanting to waste time and trying to get Matt out of her head, Bonnie grabbed her grimoire and got everything ready. She wrote a note to Stefan and wrapped the paper around one of her earrings. She gave the note to one of the maids, and begged it was delivered to Stefan as soon as possible. Bonnie also changed her clothes and grabbed Matt's so he could change too.

When Matt showed up, he helped her bring everything outside. They would perform the ritual in the same place they arrived.

Bonnie looked at the Salvatore's mansion and wished the best to Stefan, although she knew fate was close to catch upon him. Then she looked at the stars and the moon and took a deep breath out of the fresh air. She held Matt's hand. It was weird and she couldn't help but feel bad about it. Slowly, her hands went a little bit numb.

"I can't believe we were fighting. Especially after what we did."

"Oh, so that _was_ a fight?"

"I suppose" she shrugged.

"You're unbelievable."

She ignored him so the discussion would end and started the spell.

His eyes were closed because he was avoiding looking at her.

It was strangely quicker than they expected. And less painful, as if the universe was thankful that everything was coming back to the right place.

Bonnie heard Caroline's voice before they were fully materialized.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Matt smelled smoke.

Then they let go of each other's hands and understood Caroline's yell.

Bonnie's room was completely — and literally — _on fire_.


End file.
